GOLD COAST, Australia – If Hector Lombard was trying to make people forget his forgettable UFC debut, he did a good job of it.

Lombard, who in July dropped a split decision to Tim Boetsch in his highly anticipated first fight in the UFC, stopped Rousimar Palhares with a barrage of punches in the first round.

The bout opened up the main card of Friday’s UFC on FX 6 event at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It aired on FX following prelims onFUEL TV.

Lombard opened with a front kick, but Palhares answered right back with one to the lead leg. After another kick from Palhares, Lombard jumped into a right hand that narrowly missed. It was Lombard doing the early stalking, though, with Palhares using the leg kicks to keep Palhares at bay.

Ninety seconds in, Lombard seemed to find the timing he was looking for and dropped Palhares to the canvas after defending a kick. He let him up, then continued to put the pressure on with a right hand hoping to set up his powerful left.

Midway through, he landed it and Palhares again was on the turf. But Lombard followed him down, landed a few punches and then fell into Palhares’ bottom game. Quickly, knowing that was no place for him, Lombard went to his feet.

And then Lombard poured it on. He got inside with a right hand with Palhares against the cage. As Palhares crumpled Lombard landed left after left after left until Marc Goddard shut things down at the 3:38 mark of the first round, giving the adopted Australian the victory.

“I believe this is my second win in the UFC, but my first in front of my home crowd here in Australia,” Lombard said. “A KO was what I wanted, and I got it. It means the world to me to fight on the Gold Coast in front of family and friends. Palhares was very strong out there and I have much respect for him.”

Lombard also took a moment to call out fellow middleweight Michael Bisping, asking for a fight with him next.

“I would love to fight Michael Bisping – he’s said a lot of things about me lately and I want to settle it in the Octagon,” he said.

Lombard (32-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns to the win column after the aforementioned loss to Boetsch. The former Bellator middleweight champ now has won 26 of his past 28 fights with just the one loss to Boetsch and a draw. Palhares (14-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) now has lost two straight following a first-round TKO setback against Alan Belcher at UFC on FOX 3 in May.